• Courtesy
• Freeway Clyde, Sunflower

(Self-released, digital)

Freeway Clyde is an odd but fitting name for Michael Chorney's latest ensemble, because this is a strange project indeed. In theory, it's an improv band devoted to soundtracking imaginary films. In practice, Freeway Clyde are a telepathic extension of Chorney's brain and body, as their debut LP, Sunflower, demonstrates.

If I exaggerate, it's only by an inch or two. In the album's liner notes, Chorney states that he sought out "intuitive players," and few artists around these parts have a more extensive Rolodex. From leading the seminal 1990s Vermont fusion band viperHouse to the Tony Award he and Todd Sickafoose won for best orchestrations for Anaïs Mitchell's breakout Broadway musical, Hadestown, Chorney has been a constant presence in Green Mountain music, a prolific creator and collaborator.

Sunflower features an ensemble cast made up of some the area's headiest players: Jeremy Fredrick (drums), Taylor Haskins (EVI, trumpet), Zack Dupont (guitar), Pat Ormiston (bass), Matt LaRocca (viola) and Will Andrews (trumpet, samples, synthesizer). Perhaps just as important to the album's cinematic soundscapes is the work of Ben Collette of Tank Recording Studio, who engineered these ambitious sessions and later mastered the album.

Once assembled, the crew built its connections, along with the songs themselves, in front of live audiences over the course of a residency at Burlington's Radio Bean. This unique approach paid huge dividends. While the beating heart of every track is Chorney's guitar, the harmony, dissonance and sheer space his coconspirators provide make for a truly singular sound.

"Ephrata" kicks things off with a distinctly European flavor, opening with a light, sunny melody that evolves into a disorienting wall of psychedelia and washes out into a lovely reprise. It's a real journey, and that's only the first song.

"Wyoming" couldn't be more different. It's a Western theme for infinite horizons, always pushing the melody in new directions without losing that serene pocket. "New York" is all jazzy movement, evoking the city that never sleeps with angular riffs and horn swells, with support from special guest Brian Drye on trombone. It would be a perfect fit for a dirty, '70s-style action noir.

The immense atmosphere and mystery of "La Prairie" makes for one of the album's most compelling tracks. Thanks to the slow tempo and careful restraint, it is easy to hear how the players exchange ideas in real time.

The record's climax is clearly "Athens," an explosive and dynamic workout that clocks in at over 10 minutes. Drye returns on trombone to great effect. Despite the long run time, every moment is urgent and new, and the song gives the fullest sense of what's possible from this distinctive lineup.

Over the playful, effects-pedal weirdness of closing track "Invocation 15," I have to admit, I was already thinking about the sequel. Freeway Clyde are an exciting project because there is really no limit to where they can go from here.

Sunflower is available on all major streaming services. Freeway Clyde return to Radio Bean this Thursday, February 16.